IMAX theaters grossed an all-time record $176.2 mil. worldwide in July, the company announced today,
The new highwater mark that blew past the previous four year-old benchmark by $52.1 mil, was attributed to “Oppenheimer,” from director Christopher Nolan, a longtime proponent of IMAX, who shot “Oppenheimer” using IMAX cameras. The nearly three-hour Universal Pictures film about the man responsible for the atomic bomb has grossed more than $86 million at IMAX theaters since opening with Early Access screenings in some theaters on July 11.
The movie also sparked another record, with IMAX theaters accounting for 20% of total receipts of all movies on opening weekend, including one of the biggest movie openings of all-time in Barbie.
Meanwhile, in China, Maoyan’s “Creation of the Gods: Kingdom of Storms 1” has earned $20.1 mil. since July 20 after a $8.6 mil. opening weekend in IMAX — an IMAX-record 16.6% of the debut for a local release and IMAX’s biggest ever summer opening weekend for a Chinese film. ( “Oppenheimer” is set to debut in IMAX in China on August 30.)
All told, IMAX enjoyed its highest-grossing month of July ever worldwide.
“Our best July ever is just the latest in a long line of IMAX company records that have fallen in 2023 — from our highest grossing first quarter ever, to our all-time biggest local language release, to our best-ever opening weekend market share with ‘Oppenheimer’,” said Rich Gelfond of IMAX.
“Oppenheimer,” which was shot in IMAX® 65mm and 65mm large-format film photography including, for the first time, portions in IMAX® black and white analogue photography, has extended its global run of “Oppenheimer” an additional week through August 17, with plans to schedule IMAX showtimes of “Oppenheimer” through late summer and fall.
— By Scott Hettrick